The use of wheelchairs by elderly or disabled persons is widespread and well accepted and their use is likely to increase substantially due to the prolonged life expectancy and the general aging process of the population. Thus, there is an increasing need for collapsible wheelchairs and their accessories.
A collapsible wheelchair is a relatively expensive device having numerous moving and delicate parts. For these reasons, it is desirable to protect the wheelchair during transportation or storage and provide for easy movement of the collapsed wheelchair while in a carrier or cover therefor.
Frequently, a person confined to a wheelchair must be transported by motor vehicle from one location to another. Normally when this is done, the wheelchair is collapsed and placed within the trunk or back seat of an automobile. The lifting and movement of a collapsed wheelchair is very cumbersome and difficult for an able-bodied person and is almost impossible by a disabled person or by a person of small stature. Therefore, there is a need for a carrier, housing or cover for a collapsed wheelchair which permits a person to easily place the collapsed wheelchair within the carrier or housing and to lift the wheelchair with minimum ease.
A search of U.S. patents for wheelchair carriers or housings which are somewhat pertinent to applicant's invention produced the following U.S. patents: namely, U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,289 to Taylor et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,826 to Carstensen et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,289 to Taylor et al. is directed to a first embodiment of a wheelchair carrier comprised of a bottom section and a top section; the bottom section having four side walls and a floor for receiving a collapsed wheelchair rolled therein; the top section having four side walls and a top wall; and means for securing the bottom section to the top section. U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,289 to Taylor et al. is further directed to a second embodiment of the wheelchair carrier comprised of a housing having four side walls, a top wall and a floor, with one side wall being on three of its edges detachable to enable a collapsed wheelchair to be placed in the housing and being reattachable on three of its edges to the housing to enclose the collapsed wheelchair within the carrier. To move the carrier, once the wheelchair is placed therein, a person must reach around the carrier as no handles or the like are provided on the carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,826 to Carstensen et al. is directed to a cover for a collapsed wheel chair and comprises a hood portion, having an upper end, two sides and a flap extending from one of the sides for receipt under the collapsed wheelchair and being extended to the other side, and for providing a strap for grasping and carrying the collapsed wheelchair within the cover.
These prior art carriers or housings for wheelchairs have presented numerous problems and disadvantages particularly when compared with the improved carrier or housing of the present invention and have not been widely accepted by the public. There is a need, therefore, for a relatively inexpensive carrier or housing for a collapsed wheelchair of simple construction which overcome the problems and disadvantages associated with the prior art carriers or housings for a collapsed wheelchair. The carrier or housing for wheelchair of the present invention fulfills these needs.
The present invention is directed to a simple, light-weight, housing for covering, carrying, and transporting a collapsed wheelchair. The present invention is not cumbersome and can be easily placed over, and removed from, a collapsed wheelchair, and can be easily grasped to carry the housing and the wheelchair therein for movement from one location to another. The present invention is also designed such that the four wheels of the collapsed wheelchair may extend outside of the housing so that the wheels can be used to roll the collapsed wheelchair within the housing for short distance. The present invention is further designed so that a drawstring can be pulled to tighten the lowermost part of the housing to lock the housing upon the collapsed wheelchair so that a person can easily grasp one or more handles on the interior of the housing to move or carry the housing and collapsed wheelchair therein into a motor vehicle or to another location.